For me its the first or very early LP's of: Allman Brothers - "Allman Joys" "Idyllwild South" Santana - "Santana" 200 g reissue Emerson Lake and Palmer - "Emerson Lake and Palmer" and, Beethoven - "Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major" Rudolph Serkin/Ozawa/BSO
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool (new 180g reissue on Yep Roc)
I had forgotten how much I love this album - it's just one incredibly catchy song after another. The new remaster is wonderfully punchy and does great service to Lowe's production, too bad my copy is one of the dirtiest and noisiest new records I've ever bought. Hopefully I can find a friend with a cleaning machine who's willing to give it a spin, because my efforts at cleaning it manually aren't doing jack.
The Doors, "Morrison Hotel" - Elektra 7559-60675 German pressing (320 matrix) from a year ago - very nice. ("L.A. Woman" from the same reissue series is also very good, but not on the table tonight)
Tonight it was The Beatles, "Abbey Road" to warm up the system. Followed by Carly Simon, "No Secrets", then Melissa Manchester "Greatest Hits", followed by Suzanne Vega, "Solitude Standing" and Joni Mitchell, "Hejira". Ended with Steely Dan, "Aja".
Kenny Drew, "Undercurrent" - Blue Note, ST 84059 -45 (Music Matters 45 rpm reissue) - Mmmmm, Outstanding!
Vaughan Williams, "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" - Marriner/ASMF, Argo ZRG 696 - a superb performance with my preferred performance of "A Lark Ascending" on the flip side. .
Rush- I had that same Vaughan Williams in my hands earlier this evening, but slid it back in the rack in favor of "Golden Dance Hits of 1600" (Archiv 2533 184)
Others this evening: Haydn "Symphony No. 99 in E Flat" Woldike/Vienna State Opera Orchestra (Vanguard SRV-129)
Beethoven "Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61" Bernstein/New York Philharmonic/Isaac Stern (Columbia MG 31418)
Rick Wakeman "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (A&M SP 4361)
Benjamin Britten "Peter Grimes Highlights" Britten/Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Decca/London OS 26004)
Ry Cooder/V.M. Bhatt "A Meeting by the River" (Water Lily Acoustics/APO APW 29) 45 rpm reissue.
Makes three of us then... Had a couple for friends over and one brought the Vaughan Williams on CD not realizing that the system here was set up for vinyl only.
I had that same Vaughan Williams in my hands earlier this evening...
A good part of today was spent doing some turntable finetuning in anticipation of making a few additional changes in the system in the next few weeks (rolling some tubes, adding a Velocitor, power cord, and HDLs). So, today's listening was to multiple repeats of Ravel's "Rhapsodie Espagnole" with Reiner/CSO on RCA LSC 2183 ("The Reiner Sound" Classic Records 33 rpm version). (Yes, the 45 rpm version is better, but we used the 33 which sounded pretty phenomenal after a careful cleaning with Prelude.) Final result after 3 hours? No changes, just satisfaction that we already had everything aligned as optimally as we could achieve. Is this anal retentive or what? ;-)
We also spent some time confirming for Ann my earlier conclusion that the Walker Prelude 3-step cleaning process makes a very material improvement over our long term standard cleaning fluid and that the Talisman makes a consistent improvement and is well worth using before each play.
Tannahill Weavers "Tannahill Weavers" - Green Linnett SIF 3101
We just replaced the input tubes in our amps, so we've been listening this afternoon to a lot of old favorites (forgive me for so many repeats):
Malcolm Arnold "Eight English Dances" with Arnold/LPO on Lyrita SRCS 108
Ravel "Rapsodie Espagnole" and Rachmaninoff "Isle of the Dead" with Reiner/CSO on RCA LSC 2183 (Classic)
Beethoven "Kreutzer Sonata" with Heifitz on LSC 2577 (Cisco)
Shostakovich "Age of Gold Ballet suite" with Martinon/LSO on RCA LSC 2322-45 (Classic)
Holst "Savitri" with I.Holst/J.Baker/ECO on Argo ZNF 6
Holst "Double Concerto for 2 Violins and Orchestra" with I.Holst/ECO on Lyrita SRCS 44
Holst "Planets" with Previn/LSO on EMI ASD 3002
Sibelius "Finlandia" Mackerras/LondonPromsO on RCA LSC 2336-45 (Classic) .
Conclusion about the new input tubes? Big improvement: greater clarity; lower distortion; far less congestion during orchestral peak volumes when everyone is going for all they're worth. Next, go back and put Extreme SST on the tube pins and allow that to break in, then on to replacing tubes in the phono stage.
It's nice to see that after 4 years and over 1200 posts, this thread still has life!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed your listening choices. I know that my eyes have been opened to investigating music I might not otherwise have tried; thanks to what I have learned here.
Music of William Alwyn, twentieth century English composer:
Rhapsody for Pf Qt Str Qt 3 Str Trio (1962) > the Quartet of London, on Chandos ABRD 1153 - yes it's a digital recording, but it sounds great
"Naiades," Fantasy-Sonata for Flute and Harp Divertimento for solo Flute (1939) Mirages, Song Cycle for Baritone & Piano > on Lyrita SRCS 61 - wonderful recording!
In the process of breaking in a Walker Audio Velocitor and new power cord supplying the turntable and phono stage. All I can say thus far is: "Wow!" This device is not leaving our system.
More chamber music tonight starting with Franz Berwald's "String Quarter in g" played by the Chilingirian Quartet on CRD 1061. The CRD label (England) is well worth searching out for those who enjoy chamber music. Most of the recordings are by the excellent engineer Bob Auger who consistently captures exceptionally natural sounding, simply miked and transparent recordings. .
Hit the area yard sales yesterday. Spent part of today cleaning and listening.
Mussorgsky - Ravel "Pictures at an Exhibition" Wallenstein/Virtuoso Symphony of London (Audio Fidelity FCS 50,004)
Corigliano "Concerto For Piano and Orchestra" Hilde Somer (Piano)/San Antonio Symphony/Alessandro (Mercury SR 90517) This one is a Marc Aubort engineering effort. Enormous dynamic range, looked like it was in pretty good shape. Ran it through the Loricraft and played it. Tons of noise throughout. Sounds almost like breakup or distortion, possibly due to some gunk deep down in the grooves. I am going to work on this one as the recording itself is superb, and the performance interesting.
Actually, last night: Mahler's 4th Symphony...especially, the 3rd & 4th movements. Columbia Masterworks series. Bernstein conducting the NY Philharmonic. Reri Grist is the soprano soloist. Don't think it is that great a recording from a sonic or engineering point of view, but I greatly enjoy the "Poco Adagio" 3rd and Reri's singing in the 4th.
Schumann, Cello Concerto - Janos Starker/Skrowaczewski/LSO, Mercury SR 90347 (Speakers Corner reissue. A wonderful recording of a great performance. Speakers Corner delivers yet again with a sonic wonder of a reissue. Don't miss it.) .
Hank Mobley: "Soul Station" - Blue Note 4031-45 (Music Matters 45 rpm reissue) (This series of 45 rpm reissues continues to amaze. If you love jazz, and if you love vinyl, you will regret not getting these while they are available.)
Frank Sinatra: "September of My Years" - Reprise FS-1014 ("smiling Frank" label, no sonic wonder but Frank is still Frank)
Late afternoon listening began with, and has moved on through:
Roy Orbison, "Lonely & Blue" (Classic Records mono reissue - always a sonic disappointment compared to the Steve Hoffman mastered "All Times Greatest Hits..." on Pure Pleasure.)
ZZ Top, "Tres Hombres" (not the reissue)
Bruce Springsteen, some sides from "Live/1975-1985"
James Taylor, "Sweet Baby James" (Rhino reissue and original)
Malcolm Arnold, "A Sussex Overture" / "Beckus the Dandipratt" / "The Smoke" / "The Fair Field" - Arnold/LondonPO, Reference Recordings RR48
Respighi, "Ancient Airs and Dances" - Dorati/PhilHungarica (Mercury SR 90199, Speakers Corner reissue)
Spinning Tape Project tapes at the moment. 10.5 in reels at 15 ips,,,
Jacqui Naylor "The Number White" (TP-001, s/n 061) Dave Alvin "Blackjack David" (TP-002, s/n 061)
Earlier this morning: Schuller "Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee" Dorati/Minneapolis SO (Mercury SR90282) Liszt "Sonata: Piano Works" Robert Silverman (Stereophile STPH008-1)
WOW! Dexter Gordon's "Dexter Calling" 45 rpm reissue from the Blue Note reissue series by Hoffman and Gray produced by Analogue Productions and Music Matters. This piece of vinyl is simply phenomenol! Blue Note 4083-45.
Did you see that the first two records in the Music Matters series are now sold out? The mail order retailers who still have a few copies have already increased their prices. When these are gone, they will never be seen again. .
Haydn, Cello Concertos, Orchestra da Camera Roma Classica with Rocci Filippini, cello - Fone 008-45 "Club of 496"
I've been listening to several of these limited issue Fone recordings on vinyl and I continue to be impressed by them, particularly the 45 rpm issues. The recordings are all analog, minimally miked (with tube microphones), no electronic manipulation, and capture the instruments very accurately and naturally. The pressings themselves are one-step masterings, meaning that the lacquer is used to create the stamper directly, destroying the lacquer in the process, so only a limited number of LPs can be pressed from each lacquer. What this typically allows is even greater transparency to the finished LP because two intervening mold/plating steps (father and mother) have been eliminated. For the Club of 496 series, Fone presses only 496 records from each stamper. To make more LPs, a new mastering and new lacquer is required (which may or may not happen).
This particular LP has a lot of high frequency energy which sounds like it comes from the acoustically very live, and resonant, recording venue. Once attuned to that balance, the instrumental timbre sounds spot on to these ears, with a marvelously resolved cello that is very forward in the soundstage, but not unpleasantly so. The performances are top drawer, with excellent work by cellist Filippini.
After listening to these Fone LPs and the various Music Matters 45 rpm Blue Note reissues, my wife observed that they made many of our other LPs sound "cotton-y" - her expression for a bit of veiling over the sound. And that is very true: these LPs sound very transparent and alive. Quite a joy to hear. .
Rossini, 6 Sonate a Quattro, Salvatore Accardo and others, Philips 4759648 (2LPs) (This limited edition reissue is one of the most realistic recordings of a string quartet in my collection. Yes, it's expensive. But the performances are superb and the recording quality and mastering are simply outstanding. If you enjoy chamber music, this exceptional 2LP set will rock you back on your heels.)
Wagner, Tristan und Isolde, Bohm/Bayreuthe, Nilsson, Windgassen, Ludwig, DGG 2713 001 (a glorious cast in this exceptional performance from 1966) .
Durufle, Suite, op5 - Torvald Toren at the Hedvig Eleonora Church Organ, Stockholm - Proprius 7854
Torvald Toren is an excellent organist playing on a beautiful organ built and voiced in the French "neo-classical" style, a superb organ for the music of Maurice Durufle. When the 32' Bourdon pipes are called upon in this beautifully recorded LP, you absolutely know it and feel it. (For people who tell me vinyl just can't reproduce bass as well as CDs, this is the LP I'm most likely to pull out to play for them.) This LP and it's sequel (Proprius 7855) contain four of Durufle's great organ works in marvelous sound. Highest recommendation if you love large scale French organ music and can find it. .
Nick Lowe - Labour of Lust Gary Brooker - No More Fear of Flying Chet Atkins - Teensville (RCA Living Stereo) Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow (particularly excellent recording)
Listening right now to a delightful performance of Beethoven's 7th Symphony: Kajski conducting the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Tacet L 149. A very lithe, dynamic performance; and the all tube recording chain makes for a unique sonic quality - highly recommended!
Earlier today:
"Blues Jam at Chess" - a great live blues jam captured at the Chess Records studio in 1969 with the original Fleetwood Mac members (Peter Green era) and some great blues players like Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Shakey Horton, Honey Boy Edwards. A great reissue by Pure Pleasure.
"Clair de Lune" - collection of orchestral short pieces performned by Raymond Agoult and the London Proms Symphony Orchestra in another great recording by Kenneth Wilkinson. RCA LSC 2326 (45 rpm reissue by Classic Records) .
Simon & Garfunkel - "Bookends" (Columbia KCS 9529) in an early 2-eye red label pressing. This 40-year old LP has been played to death on low-fi equipment and it still sounds great tonight! (My listening partner wouldn't head off to bed until we'd finished playing the second side, and it's her LP that she bought in high school and played to death on an old "suitcase" model Magnavox player. Don't ever tell me vinyl doesn't have longevity.)
Joni Mitchell - "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" (Asylum 7E 1051). I've read some rave reviews of the recent Speakers Corner reissue of this LP, but the original sounds great to my ears here. The advantage of the reissue is supposed to be the elimination of compression used in mastering the original, but my original copy sounds very dynamic. Anyone heard the Speakers Corner reissue?
The White Stripes - "Elephant" (V2 Records 63881-27148) - OK, I'm impressed with Jack and Meg White. I picked up this LP some months ago and have only gotten around to listening to it tonight. (Somewhat ear shredding in the top end, requiring the addition of a bit of damping on the tonearm to clean up some of the edge, but great overall impact.) Now I have to clean and listen to "Icky Thump."
Telemann - "Trio Sonatas" performed by the Ensemble Rameau on Lyrinx 7908-020. Lovely period instrument performances captured in quite good sonics by Lyrinx, a label with consistently good quality engineering, mastering and pressings. .
"Antiphone Blues" (Proprius 7744) in honor of Arne Domnerus, the Swedish saxophonist who died this past Monday at the age of 83. A wonderfully unusual combination of jazz saxophone and organ (particularly at the time originally recorded in 1974); you owe it to yourself to listen to this recording. Domnerus' better known recording likely is "Jazz at the Pawnshop."
"Thunderbolt Pagoda" (Mutant Music MMLP025) - I've mentioned this LP before and have enjoyed it once again this evening. Thanks again, Ralph!
James Taylor - "Sweet Baby James" in the Steve Hoffman / Kevin Gray remastered reissue from Warner Bros. A very worthy improvement over the original pressing. Too bad other reissues from the major labels are not coming anywhere close to the superb quality of this one.
The Nylons - "One Size Fits All" (Open Air OA 0301) - just sensational music making and total fun! .
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